A little more than two hours away from the Golden Isles, in Wray, Georgia, sits the largest muscadine vineyard in the world—Paulk Vineyards. The Paulk family has established a legacy in the muscadine industry, growing from their first vine of muscadine planted in 1970 to over 800 acres of muscadines and scuppernongs harvested for fresh produce sales, as well as processing into juices, jellies, supplements, and wine. Their family has farmed this land for six generations, evolving from traditional row crops like cotton, peanuts, and soybeans, to a variety of fruit, including the mighty muscadine.
Chris Paulk holding muscadine grapes from Paulk Vineyards
They have merged innovation with tradition over the years, using modern industry and technology to support a rich farming heritage. They ensure the food and beverage products they create are of the highest quality by using healthy, fresh muscadines straight from the farm where they are grown, combined with natural ingredients, processed as simply as possible.
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Jacob Willis Paulk with sons Gary, JW Jr., and grandson Chris
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If you visit Paulk Vineyards, you’ll find fresh muscadines and scuppernongs, available seasonally, in August and September, as well as strawberries in March-April and blackberries in May-June, plus the delicious food and beverage products made from the fruit they grow. There are many different ways they offer “The Superfruit of the South,” so you can enjoy something healthy that still tastes good and is unique, yet familiar. Paulk’s purple and white muscadine juices won the 2015 and 2016 Flavor of Georgia contests. The muscadine jelly, sauce, and preserves they sell are handcrafted in small batches just down the road by their friends at Fourth & Cherry Foods. The vineyard also hosts the Georgia Muscadine Festival every Labor Weekend and the South Georgia Wine Festival, the second Saturday in March.
When they began the wine operation, Paulk Vineyards decided to use the names of their wines to tell stories about their family and the farm. Their original family of red and white muscadine wines were named for their grandparents and great-grandparents. Later, when they started making wines from other fruit grown on the farm, they named the fruit wines for roads where those fruits are grown. As the vineyards expanded their muscadine wine offerings, they first paid tribute to an iconic A-frame cabin and the wonderful memories it held for them. In 2021, Paulk Vineyards introduced Sweet Tree Wine, a line of fruit-infused muscadine wines and sangrias which offered a fresh and exciting twist on their classic wines.
Paulk Vineyard wines
In 2024, a new line of destination wines was launched to further connect the wines made by the Paulks to their family and cherished memories. These are named after places in Georgia near and dear to their hearts. Of special note to us here in south coastal Georgia, one of those destination wines, a semi-sweet sparkling white muscadine, is named Golden Isles. The Paulks have certainly captured our island spirit in the description and tasting notes that accompany this prosecco-like wine:
Just off the coast near Brunswick, the unique natural beauty of The Golden Isles draws you in to relax, play, and explore the sandy beaches, marshes, and marine life like sea turtles. St. Simons and Jekyll Island are perfect Southern hosts, offering eclectic shopping, incredible dining, as well as iconic lighthouse, sunset, or driftwood beach photo opportunities. Enjoy a glass of this sparkling white muscadine wine and feel the ocean breeze, even if it’s just in your mind!
The bubbles in this semi-sweet sparkling white muscadine wine make us think of the waves crashing onto the shores of Jekyll and St. Simons Islands. Not too sweet, with a floral essence and hints of citrus, combined with those effervescent bubbles, make this the perfect wine for celebrating or just to liven up dinner!
Take a ride out to the farm to visit the Paulk Vineyards Tasting Room, where a wine guide will introduce you to their wines in a simple and fun tasting session that is neither overwhelming nor pretentious. For the Paulk family, wine is all about enjoyment and they hope you’ll find a story to celebrate and new memories to create with every sip. To learn more about Paulk Vineyards, shop online, or plan a visit to the farm or the Tasting Room, visit paulkvineyards.com.
